Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Senator Barry O’Sullivan has confirmed Cloncurry and Longreach will hold hearings in the inquiry into the “operation, regulation and funding of air route service delivery to rural, regional and remote communities” though no date has yet been announced for the hearings and more hearings could be added.

Mr O’Sullivan said the choice of Cloncurry and Longreach allowed for “geographical opportunities in the state” and he urged anyone with an interest in the matter to attend one of the hearings.

His call comes a week after the public submissions period closed and the choice of Longreach will please federal member for Gregory Lachlan Millar who has been vocal about the high costs of air fares from that location.

READ ALSO: More public submission to the inquiry including Hamish Griffin of Cloncurry

Mr Millar said in his submission Blackall, Longreach and Barcaldine airports all had provisions for residents’ fares but they were hard to access.

“My constituents tell me they never seem to be able to access this fare or when they do the allocation is so small only a handful of residents can,” Mr Millar said.

“This is an ongoing problem and it is a very common occurrence where people are paying just under $500 for a one way flight to Brisbane from Longreach.”

Mr Millar’s concerns was echoed by the Isolated Children’s Parents Association Queensland submission who quoted average return fares out of Mount Isa varying between $500-$1800 per person.

“An average family is unable to sustain this cost (on top of education and boarding costs) over a prolonged period of time,” the ICPA said.

“Based on these estimates, a family sending three children to boarding school at once can average as much as $3000 per term, which is an extra $12000 per year per family.”

Cloncurry resident Brad Rix – a police sergeant and local shire councillor also wrote about the high costs.

Mr Rix said if they were lucky to get the lead-in fare for a flight from Cloncurry to Brisbane, it was around $340 each person each way or $2720 for his family.

“More often than not, the cost of an available seat is closer to the $400 each way mark making the cost more like $3200,” Mr Rix said.

“ This is not within the financial capacity of the vast majority of those living in this town. As a family, we can fly Brisbane to Sydney for about $100 each person each way, Brisbane to NZ for about $200 each person each way, or Brisbane to Bangkok for the same price it’ll cost me to get the couple of hours from Cloncurry to Brisbane.”

The inquiry end date has been extended until September 20.